The 49ers didn’t need much time to get a read on their quarterback situation. One preseason game was enough.
On Thursday night, San Francisco opened its 2026 preseason without showing much of anything. The biggest names stayed parked on the sideline, so there was no Brock Purdy appearance and no Mac Jones snap either. Still, the night ended up sharpening the picture around Jones in a way the team probably didn’t expect.
The reason was Kurtis Rourke. The third-string quarterback got the start and handled himself well, completing 12 of 14 passes for 101 yards while also showing some mobility by escaping the pocket for a couple of nice runs.
But the encouraging showing came with a catch: Rourke left the game after injuring his ribs. That one detail changed the tone quickly.
For much of the offseason, Jones had been the name floating around in trade talk. The idea was simple enough.
With Purdy healthy, San Francisco might view Jones as expendable, especially after he stepped in without Purdy in 2025 and played well enough to revive what had looked like a disappointing career. If Rourke could prove he was ready to handle backup duties, the 49ers might have had a path to move Jones.
That path looks shaky now.
Rourke’s performance showed promise, but the injury makes it hard to bank on him as the answer behind Purdy. And that leaves the 49ers right back where they started, with Jones looking a lot more important than he did a few weeks ago. In a league where quarterback depth can disappear fast, that matters.
San Francisco knows the risk better than most. Purdy has missed 11 games across his three full seasons as the team’s starting quarterback, so the possibility of him missing another stretch this year is hardly far-fetched. Add in the injuries the organization has already dealt with since training camp began, and the case for holding onto a capable backup becomes even stronger.
The 49ers are already dealing with thin spots at wide receiver and running back. They can’t really afford to keep cutting into their depth at a position that can change everything in a hurry.
So even without taking a snap Thursday night, Jones ended up sending a pretty clear message. The 49ers may have spent the offseason wondering whether he was movable. After one preseason game, he looks more necessary than ever.
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Mac Jones Gets A Real 49ers Test Right Away
The 49ers are expected to keep many of their starters on the sideline in the preseason meeting with the Titans, which should leave Mac Jones with a meaningful workload under center. For a backup quarterback trying to make the most of limited snaps, that kind of opportunity matters, especially when it comes against a Tennessee team that plans to play a good portion of its top early-down personnel.
Jones will not just be managing a routine preseason outing, either. The matchup gives him a chance to put useful film on tape against a tougher-than-usual exhibition opponent, something that can still carry weight well beyond August for a quarterback set to hit free agency in 2027. In a league where every clean series and sharp throw can shape perception, this one has a little more on the line than the box score will show. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Suddenly Have Two Injury Concerns Fans Need To Watch
Kyle Shanahans injury report after the preseason opener gave the 49ers a little more to monitor than they would prefer this early in camp. Quarterback Kurtis Rourke exited with a rib injury, and the team was cautious enough to send him to the hospital for evaluation, although the initial X-rays came back negative. It was the sort of checkup that can calm some fears while still leaving the door open for more concern as the week unfolds.
Cornerback Nate Hobbs added to that uneasy feel when he went down with a groin injury during joint practice, another reminder that the preseason can change a depth chart in a hurry. Hobbs is expected to miss a few weeks, and he is not the only player dealing with a health issue, with Jack Jones, Nick Martin and Marques Sigle also on the injury list. For a team trying to sort out roles and preserve momentum, the main question now is how many of these absences linger into the start of the season. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Preseason Opener Put Two Early Depth Concerns In Focus
The preseason opener in Tennessee offered the 49ers an early look at how their depth is holding up while several key players stayed out of uniform. It was the first real chance for the coaching staff to sort through backups, young players and fringe roster hopefuls in a game setting, with the live updates tracking the kind of miscues, penalties and flashes that tend to shape August evaluations more than the scoreboard does.
For San Francisco, the most useful part of the night may have been seeing where the thin spots show up when the rotations get deeper and the pace quickens. The play-by-play told a story of a team still sorting out its second unit on both sides of the ball, and the kind of early preseason test that can clarify which positions need the most attention before the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]